


Reliably informed

by Tal



Series: Behind the quote [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Backstory, Childhood, Gen, Quote
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-11
Updated: 2012-02-11
Packaged: 2017-10-30 23:03:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/337160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tal/pseuds/Tal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's been reliably informed that he doesn't have a heart. When did that happen and what reliable source told him?</p><p>A take on the origin of Sherlock's 'I've been reliably informed that I don't have one.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reliably informed

This wasn’t the first time Sherlock had been summoned to see the head master. It _was_ , however, the first time that there was a woman standing next to the self-proclaimed people’s man.

“I want to introduce you to Dr. Walcott,” he said, in a tone he no doubt was considering to be friendly and slightly paternally. Ever patient, the man (who had suffered many talks with the younger Holmes brother), smiled in a reassuring manner.

“A psychiatrist,” Sherlock deadpanned dryly, quickly making the deduction.

“She prefers to be called Dr. Walcott and with less disdain,” he retorted. “She’s the school’s... councilor, if you like. Do yourself a favour and talk to her.”

And so, knowing he faced expulsion if he did not, Sherlock allowed the woman a talk.

They sat opposite to each other, in an empty classroom.

“Are you happy here?” She asked.

Always the first question. Are you happy? As if it mattered. “No,” he answered. “But before you start writing; I’m not unhappy here either. I’m left alone. It’s fine.”

“No friends?”

“No friends.”

“No special girl?”

Sherlock stood up. “I think this session’s over.”

“Wha- Why?”

“Because, judging from the way you’re talking to me, you’ve already established I’m retarded. Or is that the way you talk to everyone? Is that why your husband left you?”

“What? How do you-?” Sherlock grinned. He liked being right. He liked making people stop mid-sentence.

His smile made her compose herself. This was, to her, nothing more than a rebelling young man. She assured herself that she was above it and in control of the situation. Silly woman. “Do you know why you’re here?”

“You’re terming it sociopathy.” She looked at him as though he had read her mind. “It’s on the sheet you’ve just turned over.”

“Are you always this paranoid?”

“I’m always right,” he said and sat down again. “I observe. For example, there is a slight discoloured groove on your ring finger and the way you keep rubbing it indicates there used to be a ring there. It’s only been gone recently. You applied lipstick just before you came here, in your car, with practiced ease, without the use of a mirror. You’re used to wearing make-up, but used to wear a lot more than you’re wearing now, considering the state of your eyebrows and eyelashes. You’ve painted your nails, but haven’t bothered to remove the remains of varnish of the previous dye. So; you haven’t bothered recently to look your best. If you’d have left him, you would have kept your routine, perhaps even put on more face paint than usual. That’s what people do; to show their ex-partner what they’re missing. So, he left you and you haven’t yet had the will to look your best. You have less time for yourself and you haven’t fitted your children’s schedules to your own. There’s a small stain of breakfast cereal on your sleeve – choco puffs. Highly unlikely you eat them yourself, because you’ve been following a diet. Hopelessly, if the size of your new blouse is anything to go by – you definitely let yourself slide there since he left. Take all that together and the only possible explanation is that you used to have a husband and now you don’t. Obvious. ”

He smiled. She glared and shut her notebook and stormed out.

He’s often wondered since, if the term ‘heartless bastard’ was a medical one.


End file.
